[FREE MP3s] MusOpen: Beethoven Recording Project

[Fiveos22]

I was rolling around the internet the other night when I came across a website that I had previously written about [MacRumors] whose mission is to bring free (and copyright free) classical music to the masses. There quite a few good recordings on the site and I see that it has integrated access to sheet music for the recordings it offers.

www.MusOpen.com

The site owners are now attempting to go after a big fish, as far as the classical music industry is concerned: they are going to commission a symphony to record all nine of Beethoven's symphonies to be made available to the masses, FOR FREE. They are looking to raise $10k to do this (which is not bad for a normal professional recording session, let alone one that will produce about six hours of final recordings!!!)

Why are these symphonies so important?

Beethoven is considered one of the great innovators of classical music (particularly in blazing forward into the romantic movement) not so much because he was an unparalleled genius and experimentalist (which he was), but rather because his career showes the step by step development of new ideas. Beethoven's symphonies are a monumental example of this transition. Unlike Hayden or Bruckner who produced symphonies for entertainment sake, Beethoven only produced 9 symphonies (allegedly[Wikipedia]) each one meticulously composed and more profound and challenging than the previous ones. The expression and mounting grandeur of his symphonies have exhilarated audiences and defined performing groups with their aesthetic interpretations for over 200 years.

I highly encourage you to check out their website and perhaps donate to the cause (which doesn't seem like much at the end of the day).

 

[rhett7660]

Wow........... this sounds to good to be true... Reading up on it now.

Thanks for the link and the info!

 

[Fiveos22]

Hmm, Beethoven must not be popular.

 

[sysiphus]

Part of the trouble is that there are so many fantastic recordings already, many available at low prices. The Szell/Cleveland Orchestra set, for example, is budget-priced by Sony, but is second to none in quality.